Writing under pressure
by Mazeem
Summary: An iPod on Shuffle and as little as 2 and a half minutes per oneshot leads to a very strange range of ideas. Angst, humour, romance and general reflectiveness by Merlin, Arthur, Morgana and others. Everyone should try it!


This was a fun little meme. Music on shuffle, write ten oneshots inspired by ten songs. The irritating bit is the time limit - you've only got the length of the song from beginning to end. I will admit to doubly cheating - I skipped songs less than 2 minutes long and tidied up the presentation and spelling a tiny bit afterwards.

* * *

**1. Climb Every Mountain**

There were times - oh, too many times to count - when Merlin had wondered what the hell he was doing, risking his life for a spoilt prince. Destiny was a fine reason, a shining reason, but it didn't hold much water when he was knee-deep in horse manure or nursing a 'battle wound' sustained in saving Arthur's life again, without thanks, again. But then, what better use of magic was there than to save a life? And, what a life it was. And now we come to the crux of the matter, with Merlin watching him sleep and smiling.

**2. You've Got a Way**

Arthur lay awake that night, not tossing and turning because that was for the lower class with no self-control. Like Merlin. He said whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Rude, careless of social standing (maybe because he had none) and determined that he was right. It was so strange that such a ... different boy should worm his way into easy camaraderie so quickly. Noogies, jibes, bribes, awkward attempts at advice - he'd tried it all and still nothing would make the boy lose that secretive look that drove him wild.

**3. Patience**

Shush, Morgana's dreams whispered to her as she slowly awoke from a night of blank nothing. Not a word. It confused her, made her snappy with Gwen and hostile to Arthur. And Uther. Oh, _Uther_. One day she would wake from the white dreams (god-given bracelet) with eyes that burned with a golden inferno and would walk to Uther's room. He would burn and she would watch, as he had watched so many before. But, not yet. Patience, the dreams whispered. Then, one night, they told her _now_ and she went to the forest.

**4. We are**

The Devil on your doorstep. Gauis wondered if Uther ever thought about the dragon, if he ever remembered its existence, heard the vibrations of its writhing to be free. Even more secretly, he wondered if Uther ever heard the dragon's screams of rage. Gaius did. Not every night and not loudly. Just hovering at the edges of sleep, golden eyes would drill into his skull and hiss its disappointment, disbelief and anger that a fellow magic user should turn on it so. He woke up full of guilt but glad that he had renounced it in the end. Who would look after Merlin? Who would guard the dragon's cave at night?

**5. If Walls Could Talk**

Walls keep secrets. And, oh, the secrets that Camelot castle could reveal to the magician who asked the right questions! Betrayal, death, love; Uther's kingship in reverse. Now the love of a prince for a servant, the death of a sorceress by the hand of a sorcerer who chose black and white over grey and damned the woman to the dark forever. The betrayal. So much betrayal. The red lizard, buried underground, at the root of nearly all of it. The way the walls had trembled when the dragon had soared free again. Black and white.

**6. Libera**

_I choose freedom_, Morgana had whispered to Gwen that night as she left to meet with Morgause, thinking her maid was asleep. _I choose life_. Gwen had shivered under the borrowed covers (she had insisted that she was fine, honestly, but Morgana, before she turned curt and dark behind the eyes, had insisted right back at her). She had wanted to ask what was going on, but something stilled her tongue, the same thing that had made he quiver from top to toe. Gwen knew magic. Not intimately, but she knew its broad 'feel'. She felt it then. So when she fell asleep, warm and comfy, not sick anymore, she hoped her mistress had made the right choice.

**7. White Shadows**

It was wrong; it was so wrong. Never mind. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now because she was alive and warm in her arms, breathing slowly and deeply in peaceful sleep. She tidied Morgana's loose hair and tried to rid herself of the thought that Morgana looked far too much like the lowlifes scattered around the castle. She wasn't enchanted - or, not in a 'bad' way. Just to aid healing. That was all. Anything for her. Anything. Nevertheless, she shook her awake, whispered her name. Morgana answered, eyes heavy but happy and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Morgana didn't know. Morgause intended to keep it that way.

**8. Love Gets Me Every Time**

He wasn't actually clumsy, Merlin reflected, scooping his school books off the floor for the fourth time that day. Yes, really. Honestly. Absolutely. He just hadn't realised how true the jelly-legs side of love was. If it was love. Ugh. Bit soppy, Soppy is _bad_, Merlin, Arthur's not soppy at _all_. He lost himself for a blissful moment (_not_ the first that day ... week, month ... year, yet?) in picturing Arthur's strong face, messy hair and the emerging muscles he'd snuck a peek at in the changing rooms. The sounds that accompanied it weren't quite so blissful. "Merlin, you idot!" and a hard shove among the endearments heaped upon him. "Retarded or something?" Oh well. Everyone had to start somewhere.

**9. A Whole New World**

"Come on," Merlin enthused, beaming at Morgana with all his might. "I'll show you! It'll be great!" Morgana pushed her hair out her eyes and regarded him skeptically.

"A city?" She scoffed at his sincere agreement.

"A beautiful city!" He waved his hands wildly, flying pieces of white in the dim cave-light. "Well, anything's better than here, right?"

She couldn't help but smile at that. If it wasn't for him, she would have forgotten how years before.

"Will they accept this?" Her eyes lit with supernatural light and flames licked at their feet. Merlin shrugged, unfazed, met her with his own steady bright graze.

"Of course."

**10. Pokekarekare Ana**

When, Arthur wondered, was the last time he had been able to relax like this? Probably never. Relaxing was not for princes and heirs or kings and rulers. They must work all day and night, every one, with no thanks and no-one lifting their weight. But ... maybe there was someone to do a little. He was in no way relaxing, but how had Arthur ever done without Merlin?

* * *

Personally, I only like 3, 8 and 9. The rest are too generic and boring. Anyway, tell me what you think and give the meme a go! Nothing like writing under pressure to bring out the ideas.

x Maz x


End file.
